Central Cultural Fund

   212/1, Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Colombo 07. Sri Lanka.

Office Tel : + 94-1-2587912, + 94-1-2500732 - 33, Office Fax : + 94-1-2500731

E-mail : gen_ccf@sri.lanka.net

Mission

Sri Lanka has some of the richest archaeological sites in Asia- situated at easily accessible places. The largest and most dramatic sites are in the Cultural Triangle

To restore some of the monuments in the project area to their ancient glory and to see  that all of them are preserved for posterity.

To restore the principal monuments and further investigate into the ancient civilization of Sri Lanka .This has received the utmost priority in the current development strategies.

It was with this development objective in mind that the Cultural Triangle Programme was conceived as a multifaceted cultural programme to achieve economic progress through conservation of monuments, the preservation of the performing arts and the development of cultural tourism.

Sri Lanka has some of the richest archaeological heritage sites in Asia - situated in easily accessible places. The largest and most dramatic sites are in the Cultural Triangle, the area formed by linking the ancient capitals of Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Kandy, with Sigiriya in the centre.

The Cultural Triangle includes five of Sri Lanka's seven World Heritage Sites.

Anuradhapura is one of the earliest urban sites in Sri Lanka, dating from before the 5th century BC. It was the country' first capital and a major religious centre for nearly 1500 years. In its present form it consists of a citadel surrounded by several large, Buddhist monastic complexes and four man-made lakes.

The three colossal Stupa of the Maha Viharaya, Jetavana and Abhayagiri monasteries are of the same order of magnitude as the pyramids of Egypt.

The ancient monastery at Dambulla is best known for its rock temples and well-preserved 18th century paintings. It is one of the largest cave temple complexes in South Asia with about 2000 square meters of rock and wall paintings. The monastery was established in the 3rd century BC and has remained until today one of Sri Lanka 's major religious and historical sites ,with a history of more than 2000 year

It is a large rock boulder, which is about 200 m. high. In the 5th century King Kashyapa built his fortified palace and pleasure garden at this site. The remains of a vast palace can be seen on the summit of this monolithic rock.

There are many pools and fountains around the rock. The geometrically symmetrical arrangements of the ponds and the pleasure garden are wonderful creations of the past. The entire fortress area is surrounded by a moat and thick fortifications. Sigiriya is world famous today for its unique and lively frescoes, architecture, landscaping, engineering and hydraulic technology.

Polonnaruwa was the capital of Sri Lanka from the 11th to the 13th century. The ancient remains consist of a walled inner and outer city, surrounded by monasteries and temples, with palaces, gardens and a manmade lake, the "Sea of Parakrama". The Gal Viharaya is a Buddhist rock -cut temple containing four great masterpieces of world sculpture.

The historic city of Kandy was the capital of the last Sri Lankan kingdom. It was an urban and royal centre from the 15th to the 19th century. Today the city contains the famous Temple of the Sacred Tooth-Relic of the Buddha, which was the palladium of royalty, the royal palace complex, a picturesque lake, surrounded by forested hills, and on of the world's earliest botanical gardens.

The sacred square and old city centre near the Tooth-Relic Temple contain the four shrines of the Gods Vishnu, Natha and Kataragama and the Goddess Pattini, and many historic buildings and museums.

The Kandy Perahera, held annually in August (or late July) , is a traditional ritual festival dating back to the 5th century AD. The Sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha is taken in procession in a torchlight parade consisting of hundreds of dancers, musicians and caparisoned elephants.

In and around Kandy are several Buddhist temples and historic monuments such as the Lankatilaka temple at Handessa, built in the 14th and early 15th centuries. Also in the Kandy region are other sites and monuments of historical interest such as the Gangarama and Degaldoruwa temples within Kandy itself and Gadaladeniya, Ambakke,Suriyagoda and Madavala within a 6 km range of the city centre

Current excavation and conservation sites in 2008

Tickets -:

The special sites of the Cultural Triangle are the Jetavana and Abhayagiri monastery complexes at Anuradhapura, the Alahana Parivena monastic university and the royal city and places at Polonnaruwa, the city, palace and gardens at Sigiriya and the painted cave temples at Dambulla.

You can visit these project sites as they have been conserved and presented under the UNESCO - Sri Lanka Cultural Triangle Project. A Round Trip entry ticket costs Us $ 32.50. Tickets can be purchased from Travel Agents, or the Tourist Board, or the Central Cultural Fund Office, 212/1 , Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Colombo 07 or at any one of the 5 sites. (Dambulla alone is administered by a separate temple authority and not by the Central Cultural Fund, and tickets are available from the temple authorities.)

Most tours of Sri Lanka include a visit to the Cultural Triangle sites. You may also visit the sites by arrangement with travel agents or travel operators in Sri Lanka. A three or four day tour enables you to visit all the major sites. A one - or two day trip to Kandy , Sigiriya, Polonnaruwa or Anuradhapura is also possible , if your stay is a short one. Traveling time from Colombo to the ancient cities is as follows.

Make sure you see the new museums in the Abhayagiri monastery at Anuradhapura, the Treasure Room of the Jetavana monastery, and the new visitor centre and museum at Polonnaruwa. The Archaeological Museum at Anuradhapura is one of the oldest museums in the Cultural Triangle area.

For more information visit to www.ccf.lk